A Letter to My Inexperienced 17-Year-Old Self

You're probably in your room, sitting in front of your laptop, thinking about that guy you've never met in person, and feeling directionless in life.

It's okay. Feel all that.

Five years from now, The Skin Deep, your ultimate favorite YouTube channel, will notice you. Nick, that cute guy you saw in one of their videos, will message you in your Facebook art page, asking for permission for their team to share your work.

Also, yes, you will create art. Lots of it. You will make an illustration that will gain over 170,000 notes on Tumblr. You will also befriend many artists and writers along the way.

Don't stress over not having your first kiss yet. At 20, you will realize how real kisses are. Kiss won't feel like a myth anymore. Most of them won't feel as you imagined. Some of them will be nice. Some of them won't be. It's okay. It's real when it can be both bad and good.

I know lack of experience increases your feeling of inferiority. This is a reminder that not all feelings are facts.

You will meet a lot of people. Embrace your solace, innocence, and naivety right now. They will be all useful in the future.

You will encounter people who will wake up something in you. It will turn you into an artist.

Your focuses will expand. This is something you will keep close to your heart as you grow older. You might feel stuck right now, but I promise you this isn't the end. The stress of academics and everything else blinds you from seeing that. You will keep on creating. The amount of people you leave inspired and thinking will expand, too.

You will get a job and get along well with your first coworkers. Your social anxiety will take the backseat. You will have guy friends. Your English proficiency will also improve. You will be able to verbally communicate with your internet friends without stressing too much about grammar.

This is your 21-year-old self. To this day, I still consider us inexperienced. And you know what? It's not a curse after all.

Inexperience is not a wall. It's a door.

We've always been late bloomers, you know. But it doesn't mean we won't ever get to feel the heat of the sun.